By Zachary Swickey
In a move more reminiscent of a downtrodden, retired NFL player, Cher is (allegedly!) hawking an exceptional item from her personal collection on eBay: an honorary key to the city of Adelaide, Australia, which was presented to her by the city's mayor, who is not exactly thrilled with the discovery of the auction.
Either Cher or a trusted confidante of the singer, put the key up for auction, which has left the mayor "exceptionally disappointed" with the iconic pop star.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the auction appeared a few days ago and the high bid as of this moment is a whopping $95,900 with only a few hours left. The key was presented to Cher in November 1990, as labeled on the key's plaque, when she performed at the Australian Grand Prix formula one race. The description touts it as a "very unique item from Cher's own personal collection!" and adds that the key will come with the original box, a hand-written sticky note and certificate of authenticity.
Mayor Stephen Yarwood isn't happy about it, saying, "It must be very embarrassing for her if she is selling it because she needs the money." (Editor's note: Ouch! Editor's note 2: We doubt Cher needs any money following her recent, very lucrative Las Vegas residency.)
"I would have thought that getting the key to a city like Adelaide would have had some value to her, but obviously it doesn't because she wouldn't have got rid of it," he lamented.
Cher has been quick to react, suggesting through a tweet that it must be some kind of accident, writing, "Im upset 2& trying 2get2 bottom! I Think my office fkd up?" in response to a fan's question.
That's all Cher has mentioned of the incident. However, the actual eBay seller, known as "Linda," commented with further clarification. "Cher receives many awards and gifts from all over the world," the seller wrote. "At certain times she goes through her huge collection and decides to share many of these special treasures with her fans, with all the proceeds going to Cher's Charitable Foundation."
The text begins to read quite defensively as the seller continues, "I think the city of Adelaide should be proud of what this plaque & key are doing for those in need or suffering. Cher is incredible, kind and generous and in no way meant to slight the people of Adelaide. Thank you for your understanding."
The auction is still up, so apparently it's not too much of a mix-up for Cher to actually end its sale.